How You Can Help Your SSD Case

I am often asked by claimants what they can do to help their SSD Case. Here are two often overlooked actions that a person applying for social security disability benefits can take to improve their case.

Choose to see a specialist versus your primary care physican. One of the key factors that the Social Security Administration(SSA) is required to look at is whether your treating doctor is a specialist. If your doctor is a specialist and the Social Security paid doctor is not a specialist then your treating specialist’s opinions will usually be given controlling weight.

Does a specialist really matter that much? Here’s an example. Say you have rheumatoid arthritis. The records show that you went to your primary care physician for treatment instead of a rheumatologist. I often see a judge’s decision where the judge says if the condition was severe the primary care doctor would have referred the patient to a specialist. Other times I see a judges say if the condition was severe the claimant would have gone to a specialist.

Go to the doctor as often as possible for treatment of your disabling condition. The SSA uses the phrase “well supported medical opinion”. What they really mean is the more you go to the doctor and he notes your symptoms the better. Assume you have 2 people with the exact same condition. The first person goes to the doctor every month for 2 years for treatment of the medical condition.

The second person goes to the doctor every 6 months for 2 years for treatment of the same medical condition. In the judge’s view it looks a lot better if you are approved for SSD benefits because you were treated 24 times for this condition rather than if you had only been treated 4 times for a condition.

 

The Law Office of Attorney Neil H. Good has over 25 years of experience in social security disability law. We can help you obtain the correct medical paperwork and help you file your application. If you have a first time application or have been denied benefits, contact our office online or call #(847) 577-4476.